


Rescue From Number Four

by NeverHadThePlot



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Badass Remus, Badass Sirius, Child Abuse, Good Dudley Dursley, godfathers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:44:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverHadThePlot/pseuds/NeverHadThePlot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vernon is beating Harry more harshly than usual and Dudley cant take it anymore, what happens when he writes to Harry's godfathers asking for help?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue From Number Four

Uncle Vernon swung his fist and it connected with the side of Harry’s head making his vision swim as he fell to the floor. He barely had time to flinch as his shirt was torn from his back and the sharp thwack of leather collided with his bare skin. A shocked scream tore itself from Harry’s throat as he tried to shield his head from further harm. The belt assaulted his skin again and again and his throat scraped sore with his screams.

When his uncle stopped, they were both panting, Harry barely holding on to consciousness. It’s been a while since Vernon had beaten him that badly.

“Now,” he growled, “you will behave yourself for the rest of the summer. You’ll not back talk to Petunia. You will go about your chores as silently and quickly as possible and then you will be out of sight.” Vernon ordered.

Harry shuddered in pain, gasping, unable to voice his confirmation as his uncle swept out of the room, shutting the door and locking it. With his door finally locked Harry succumbed to the darkness tugging at his mind.

He roused to the pain of someone pressing on his wounds and groaned.

“Shh,” he heard his cousin whisper.

“Dudley?” Harry asked, confused.

“Yeah, I’m trying to clean your wounds. Stay still and quiet, yeah?” Harry felt something wet running across his back and guessed it must’ve been a cloth.

“Why’re you helping me?” Normally Dudley just stood by and watched. Although as he’d gotten older he’d elected to leave the house instead.

“You saved my life. Figured it’s about time I return the favour.” Dudley’s voice held a note of guilt to it that Harry had never heard before.

“Thanks,” he rasped, before passing out again.

In the morning he woke to find himself lying face down in bed. He groaned as a pounding headache made itself known and rolled over, sending a shockwave of pain through his now bandaged back.

His vision swam but when his eyes focussed again he found two pills and a glass of water on his bedside table. He sat up and took the pills gratefully, draining the glass to soothe his sore throat.

Hedwig hooted softly from the corner and he went to her, stroking her head with his finger. “Saviour of the wizarding world, huh? Wonder what they’d say to look at me now.”

She hooted dolefully.

“BOY!” His Uncle yelled from downstairs and Harry flinched, strongly considering staying put and barricading the door. But no. That would only make tonight’s inevitable punishment worse. Idly hoping that he’d only be sent to bed without supper that evening Harry went downstairs to face the day.

…

Dudley watched his cousin with concern. He was moving more slowly today, wincing in pain every time he had to bend over. His mother had ordered him to scrub the kitchen floor and Dudley was pretty sure he could see blood spots appearing in his overly large t-shirt.

Surely there was something he could do. He’d already asked his father to leave Harry alone, told him that he didn’t deserve this and the result had been last night’s brutal beating. It made Dudley feel sick, that he had caused this.

His father’s voice was still ringing in his ears. “Think you can manipulate Dudley do you? Well you can think again! Our Dudders is far too smart for you.”

Dudley didn’t get it. Why was Harry even still here? He had a Godfather didn’t he? Why didn’t he live with him instead?

An idea suddenly forming in his head he got to his feet. “Where are you going Popkin?” His mother asked.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the name. “X-box,” he grunted, shuffling out of the room.

Upstairs he snuck into Harry’s room and started rifling through the papers on his desk. The owl hooted at him indignantly.

“Shush,” he growled at it. “I’m trying to help him.” The owl went silent at that but watched him carefully with her big orange eyes.

Turning his back on her Dudley found what he was looking for, letters.

He shuffled through them. Most were from people named Ron and Hermione, they were his friends, he seemed to remember, and unlikely to be able to do anything. There was a couple of notes scrawled in messy handwriting signed by someone called Hgd, Dudley couldn’t even read the words so he supposed that wasn’t his godfather. Then he found several letters from someone named Remus and someone named Sirius, in which they frequently mentioned each other. He read through a couple of them but was unable to detect which was Harry’s Godfather. Though it sounded as if both men loved him. He decided he would just have to write to both.

Carefully placing everything where he had found it he left the room and went to his own desk. He copied out two letters, one addressed to Remus and the other to Sirius:

Hi, I’m Harry’s cousin, Dudley. I know that one of you is Harry’s Godfather, but I don’t know which so I’m writing to both Sirius and Remus.  
I don’t know how much Harry has told either of you about his home life, but it’s bad. I’ll admit that a large part of that has been my fault, but I’m trying to change.  
Yesterday I asked my father to leave Harry alone. Since I’ve never shown any interest in him before, my father assumed Harry was trying to manipulate me. He punched him in the head and whipped him with his belt. This is not the first time this has happened, but I’m particularly worried now as it has never been so brutal. I tried to dress his wounds as best as I could, but I’m not a doctor. I don’t really know what I’m doing and my parents have put him to work scrubbing the kitchen floor. I think his back is bleeding again. He hasn’t complained, but that would likely make his situation worse.  
Please, there has to be a way you can help him?  
Dudley Dursley.

He put the letters into envelopes then crept back into Harry’s room.

“Hi,” he said to the owl who was staring at him again. He swallowed. “I have no idea if you can understand me. But I need your help. I know Harry uses you to send letters to his friends?” He said it like a question and the owl hooted softly. “Can you deliver these for me? To Sirius and Remus?” The owl stared at him blankly. “I’m trying to help him dammit.” Dudley said frustrated.

The owl hooted again and stuck out her leg. “What, do I just tie it?” He asked, blinking. The owl hooted, so he did, then went to open the window. The owl took off immediately and Dudley watched her go, hoping desperately that he’d done the right thing.

…

An owl hooted and landed on the long table and Grimmauld Place. Remus looked up from his newspaper and smiled at Hedwig, reaching out to take the letters from her leg. “Hello. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” She hooted at him.

He pushed the remains of his cereal at her to allow her to eat and read the names on the envelopes. He frowned, Harry knew better than to address Sirius by his real name.

“What’s that look for?” Sirius asked, entering the kitchen as he noticed Remus frowning.

“Hedwig’s here.” Remus responded, clearing his expression and handing Sirius his envelope.

“Thanks.” Sirius didn’t even glance at his name before tearing the envelope open. Shrugging Remus followed suit and felt his stomach drop as he read the words.

“Sirius,” he whispered.

“We are going to get him,” Sirius growled.

Remus looked up to see anger burning in his friends usually cool eyes. He clenched his jaw and stood up. “Right. I don’t want him there any more than you do.”

“What’s got you two so riled up?” Tonks asked as she walked in, looking between the stormy expressions of the two men.

“This,” Sirius growled, shoving the letter into her chest. “We’re going to fetch my Godson. Coming Moony?”

“Hell yes,” Remus said, the Alpha wold inside him growling at the knowledge that his cub had been hurt. Hurt by the people who were supposed to protect him.

They stormed from the kitchen together and into the corridor.

“Where are you going Black?” Moody demanded, trying to stop him from leaving, but Sirius shoved him away, a sharp burst of magical energy flinging him against the wall. Remus didn’t bat an eye, he was right behind Sirius as he diaspperated from the top step.

…

“WHAT IS THAT INFERNAL NOISE?” Uncle Vernon bellowed as a series of loud knocks banged on the front door. “ANSWER IT BOY!” He ordered, throwing the TV remote at Harry as he dusted a shelf.

Ducking the remote he quickly fled to the hallway and opened the door. He froze in shock at the sight of his Godfathers stood on the doorstep, fists raised as if to knock again.

“S-Sirius?” He stuttered, wide-eyed, and not entirely certain if his mind hadn’t finally cracked.

“Harry.” Sirius’s face seemed to fill with relief as he pulled the teen into a hug. Harry winced at the contact, but tried to hide it. Judging by the narrowing of Remus’s eyes, he wasn’t fooling anyone. 

“What’re you doing here?” Harry asked quietly.

“Well Harry-” Remus began, but was cut off by Vernon yelling, “WELL WHO IS IT BOY?”

Harry flinched at the yelling and stepped back from Sirius’s hug as though he’d stung him. Vernon came blundering into the corridor, face already purpling with rage. Harry held his hands out, trying to placate the man. “It’s my Godfathers.” He said in a timid voice.

Vernon took one look at Sirius and gasped, before bellowing, “You invited a mass murderer into my home?”

Harry flinched, “No I-”

Moving as one Remus and Sirius drew their wands and placed themselves between Harry and Vernon.

“Harry, go pack your stuff.” Remus said quietly.

Harry stood frozen to the spot, watching in awe as the angry werewolf took a deep breath and turned to face him, his face softening to show much more of the kindly professor Harry was used to. “It’s alright cub, we’ll explain when we leave. But I need you to get your things, okay?”

Harry nodded and raced upstairs to find his cousin on the landing. He paused at the weird look on Dudley’s face.

“What’s wrong?” He asked quietly.

“Is your Godfather here?” Dudley asked tensely.

“Yes,” Harry said, confused as he watched relief flood across his cousins face. “Why-”

“I sent for them. With your owl.” Dudley said.

“What?” Harry exploded.

“You were unconscious and bleeding Harry. I didn’t know what to do. I can’t do anything without mum and dad getting suspicious and making your life even worse so I wrote to them hoping they could help.” 

“Oh Merlin!” Harry groaned, wiping a hand over his face.

“Harry are you nearly done up there?” A tightly controlled voice called up to him. 

Harry’s eyes widened. “Erm, nearly.” He called, then turned to Dudley, “Help me, I need to be back before they kill Uncle Vernon.”

Dudley nodded and followed him into his room, helping him to throw things haphazardly into his trunk whilst thinking it might not be such a bad thing if they did kill his father.

Harry struggled to drag his trunk down the stairs, Hedwig’s cage under one arm. He was surprised to see they were no longer in the hallway. He followed the sound of Sirius’ low voice to the living room, Dudley right behind him.

They were surprised to see Sirius and Remus chatting amiably with a cup of tea while Vernon shook with rage, his mouth working furiously but no sound coming out. Harry smirked, knowing they must’ve cast scilencio to rid themselves of his shouting. Petunia was cowering in her seat beside him.

“Ah, Harry.” Remus said, placing his now empty tea cup on his saucer. “Why don’t you come in here for a moment.”

Harry nodded. “What’s going on?” He asked, perching on the armrest beside Sirius, who immediately moved to squeeze his hand.

“We received word that these muggles who call themselves your relatives have been abusing you.” Remus said calmly, shooting a glare at the Dursley’s that Harry recognized as purely instinctual wolf.

“Yes,” Sirius said, a slight growl to his otherwise calm voice. “And we have come to impress upon them how much this information displeases us.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably but nodded.

“So, I would like to ask Harry, would you like to come and live with us instead?”

“Permanently?” Harry asked, surprised.

Sirius smiled at him, “Of course Pup, what else?”

Harry smiled elatedly, but frowned as he remembered something. “But won’t I have to come back here anyway? The blood wards-”

“Blood wards only work if you are loved by your relatives.” Remus said gently.

Harry’s eyes widened, “You mean I’ve never been safe here? All this time I could have been somewhere else, anywhere else?”

Remus sighed, saddened as Harry revealed he had never been loved in this house. “Yes Harry.”

Harry bit his cheek to force back his tears of frustration and forced himself to smile at the two men who loved him as their own son. “Then yes, I would love to come live with you.”

“Excellent,” Sirius’s face spread into a wide grin and he clapped his hands together. “Let’s get going then.” He stood, as did Harry and Remus, but then he took his wand out and pointed it at Vernon’s throat. “Now Dursley, I have cast a silencing charm on you. It will remain for three days. Let’s see how well you do without your loud booming voice to scare everyone.” He leaned in close to his face, staring into his eyes as he whispered darkly, “You are lucky I love my Godson enough to listen to his wishes not to harm you. If it were up to me I’d kill you on principle. If you ever hurt another child, be it Harry, Dudley or some random kid, I will come back here and kill you in the most painful ways I know while your wife watches. And believe me, I will know.”

Vernon was leaning away from Sirius, gasping as he tried to speak and sweating profusely. Smirking at his reaction Sirius turned and his whole face brightened. “Right then, shall we go?”

He turned to leave but stopped in the doorway to talk to Dudley, “Are you okay here?”

Dudley nodded shakily. “They won’t hurt me.”

“You sure?” Sirius asked, eyeing his face for any hint of lie.

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” Sirius took a slip of paper out of his pocket and handed it to him. “If you ever need anything, use this to contact me. I’ll come.”

Dudley nodded, “thank you.”

With that Sirius nodded and led the way from the house, dragging Harry’s trunk with him, Harry and Remus following behind.

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Harry Potter or the characters


End file.
